Lucknow, 01 Sept (HS): After the completion of regular recruitment of Group

'B' officers in the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board, 40 newly selected

officers met Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday. Congratulating all the

selected officers, Chief Minister Yogi said that this recruitment, conducted

after a long gap, will strengthen the board's efficiency and give new impetus

to environmental protection work. The Chief Minister said that the state

government's goal is to strengthen the selection system in government services,

in which transparency and merit are given top priority. The new recruitment

process implemented in the Pollution Control Board is an important step in this

direction.

He said that the responsibility of the Pollution Control Board is directly

linked to the environment of the state and the healthy life of the people. In

such a situation, the newly selected officers should use their technical skills

with full responsibility, sensitivity and honesty. He instructed the officers

to take the training seriously and understand the departmental functioning as

well as the challenges at the field level. A total of 40 officers, including 26

Assistant Environmental Engineers and 14 Assistant Scientific Officers of Group

'B', have been selected in the Pollution Control Board. 21 of the selected

officers are educated from various IITs, while the other officers have received

education from prestigious institutions of the country and the state. Eight

women are also included among the selected officers.

The special feature of this recruitment was that the selection process was

changed in accordance with the Chief Minister's instructions and principles.

Previously, Group B officers were recruited in the Board primarily

on the basis of interviews. By amending the old regulations of 1995, the

selection process was changed to a two-tier system based on written examination

and interview. In the new system, the written examination was given a weightage

of 85 percent and the interview 15 percent. This made educational and technical

qualifications the primary basis for selection.

Following the revised regulations, an advertisement was issued on February

27, 2026, for 26 Assistant Environmental Engineer and 14 Assistant Scientific

Officer positions. A written examination, conducted through IIT Kanpur, was

held simultaneously in various cities across the state on April 27. The results

of the written examination were declared on June 8. Four interview panels were

subsequently formed, headed by retired High Court judges. The panels also

included experts from various IITs and universities. The interviews concluded

on July 4, and the final results were declared on July 8.

This time, instead of directly deploying newly selected officers to the

field, training has been arranged. Following the Chief Minister's instructions,

a one-month training program has been scheduled for the officers. The week-long

program is being conducted at IIM Lucknow. The government believes that

regularly recruiting and training technically skilled officers will improve the

effectiveness of the Pollution Control Board's monitoring, compliance with

environmental standards, and field operations.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi